Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat
by The Mutant Velociraptor
Summary: Remember the end of JP3, when Billy gives Alan's hat back? It turns out.. he didn't. Alan discovers he has a bond with that hat, and he and Billy head back to the island. It can only spell trouble, and complications occur once they find out who has it...
1. Part I: Prologue: Arrival

**Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part I

   Alan Grant rolled over, trying to get to his alarm clock. Checking the time, he groaned and buried his head under the pillow. 2 AM. It was another one of those nights. The long, sleepless ones. In fact, ever since he had come back from Isla Sorna, he hadn't been able to get much rest. It wasn't the nightmares, though those didn't help. No, it was something else. Something was _wrong_. And Alan wanted to know what it was. 

   It had been gnawing at him for the past two weeks. It had been haunting him. It had even begun to affect his work. The other paleontologists wouldn't let him near the fossils anymore. He had almost dropped a Raptor thigh bone the day before. At first, he thought it must have been because of the experience he had with the Velociraptors, but he could sense that wasn't the case. At any rate, he decided to stay away from the dig site. That way, he got a vacation, and the others could work without him breaking things.

   Thinking these thoughts, Alan sighed heavily. He knew he would never, ever go back to that island again, regardless of how much money he was offered.

   Little did he know he would be returning very, very soon.

**.·•·.**

_Later that day…_

   Alan popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth. He was bored, and he didn't mind admitting it. The paleontologist was – or at least appeared to be – watching television with a bowl of popcorn in his lap. In reality, he was staring at it, not really comprehending anything that was happening on the soap that was on. It finished, and he switched the TV off, yawning. That was it. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. It was then he made a decision that was to change his life forever. He picked his lucky hat up and began to study it.

   Flipping it over, he stared at the brand label. Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. He brought the hat closer to his face, and then he saw it. The label read 'Walmart'. Alan knew one thing; his hat did _not_ come from Walmart. With an angry expression on his face, the doctor picked the fake up by the brim and grabbed his jacket. He wanted to have a word with Billy.

**.·•·.**

   Reaching the dig site, Alan swerved to a halt, narrowly missing a few volunteers. He jumped from his car and stormed his way over to where Billy was continuing work on the Raptor fossil he had been excavating just before the two had left for Isla Sorna. Billy looked up, and spotted the enraged Grant. Scrambling to his feet, Billy was standing as Alan stepped up at him, waving the hat around.

 "Billy! Explain this," said Alan, shoving the hat into Billy's hands, "to me."

Billy stared at the hat in confusion, recognizing it to be the doctor's lucky hat. "Sir," he said, thinking it wise to show respect, "isn't it the hat I returned to you? The hat you lost on Isla Sorna? _Your_ hat?"

Alan glared at the younger man. "No, actually, it isn't. You seemed to have given me the wrong hat. Now, please explain how that happened, Billy. I didn't think there were too many hats like mine on an island infested with dinosaurs."

Billy blinked, clearly puzzled. "But sir, I could have sworn—"

"Don't think Billy, it's bad for your health. Now, turn that… that…" Alan could not bring himself to say the words. "Turn that fake over."

Billy did as he was told, now thoroughly convinced Dr. Grant was a madman. Something must have happened to him on Sorna, he thought, staring at the inside of the hat, trying to discover what was wrong.

"What can you see?" asked Alan, with a hint of hysteria in his voice.

"Sir…" Billy trailed off.

"That! See? That!" Alan gestured to the label frantically.

Billy squinted at the label, wondering if he should call for help. Slowly, he read, "'Walmart'." Looking up at Alan, he said, "I didn't know you got this from Walmart."

"That's the point!" yelled Alan. "I didn't! You got me the wrong hat."

And all of a sudden, Billy realized exactly how much trouble he was really in.

**.·•·.**

   Billy was scared. He had never seen Alan this angry or nervous before. Doctor Grant was twitching and glancing around as though he was hiding something, which he was. He had a plan. The plan involved Billy. And Billy wasn't happy with the part he had to play.

   The two were sitting on a plane. A plane headed to Costa Rica, though the pilots and passengers didn't know that. The only two who knew where the plane was headed were Alan and Billy.

   Alan turned to Billy, and hissed in a low voice, "Let's review the plan." It was imperative no-one heard.

Billy blinked, then dutifully said, "You'll stand up and make a speech. I'll pull on a ski mask, pretend to take you hostage, then demand the pilot drop us off at Isla Sorna." He paused, then turned to Alan. "Right?"

Alan nodded. "Right, Billy. And don't forget to sound _threatening._ And definitely don't forget your weapon. Which is…?"   
"A metal fork, sir."

"Right, Billy. A metal fork."

"But, sir, won't they try to radio for help?"

The older man glanced at Billy. "I've taken care of that."

Billy merely nodded. It was best not to argue with Alan, especially when he was brooding.

   Alan gave Billy a nod. It was time. Billy swallowed. There was definitely something wrong with the older man. Alan stood up, and walked to the front of their cabin. He cleared his throat.

"Excuse me. My name is Alan Grant, perhaps you've heard of me…"

Billy was surprised. Alan actually sounded convincing. As the famous paleontologist introduced himself, Billy pulled on a ski mask, making sure nobody was watching. Alan gave Billy a discreet nod, and Billy stood up, fork in hand.

"Nobody move," he said, trying to act tough. All eyes were on him as he strode to the front and grabbed Alan's shoulder. "Nobody move," he repeated, "or I'll ram this here fork into his neck."

Everyone's eyes went wide.

"Now," smirked Billy, "somebody inform the pilot that we are landing on Isla Sorna. After you drop me and the doctor off, you may continue on your trip. Okay?"

Everyone in the cabin went silent. Then someone piped up, "Could you repeat that?"

Billy glared at the person in question. The passenger fell silent. "I'll go." He edged out of the seat and made his way to the front of the plane.

"So," said Billy, grinning broadly at the seemingly petrified cabin. "Anybody want a drink?"

**.·•·.**

   After the passenger had returned, telling Billy that the pilot had agreed, Alan felt relieved. So far, so good, he thought, blinking at everyone. In truth, half of him thought he was going insane. The other half needed the hat. He knew that if he wanted to return to full sanity, he would have to get the hat back. It was his _lucky hat_. There was no replacing it. It was special; he knew it was when he picked it up at duty free. He referred to it as _The_ Hat, which was short for The Hat of Power. Not that he told anyone its full name; he did want their respect. Not many people he knew respected him, though that had changed slightly ever since the Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna incidents. But they respected him for escaping from two islands contaminated with dinosaurs, not for being a paleontologist. _That really…_ he searched his vocabulary for a word to fit. _… sucked. Yes. Sucked._ He shook his head in amazement. He hadn't known he knew a word like 'sucked'. Damn those adolescents.

   As Alan was thinking those thoughts, Billy was wondering what to do. What would a real hijacker do? Probably sneer at everyone. Or watch everyone carefully to make sure they weren't trying to phone for help. He decided on the latter; he wanted to come across as a _nice_ hijacker.

"You," he snapped to the person who had spoken earlier, "ask the pilot when we're supposed to arrive on Isla Sorna."

"Yes, sir," replied the passenger meekly, as he exited towards the cockpit.

"Thank you!" yelled Billy to his retreating back.****

   The passenger, whose name happened to be Trevor Woods, wasn't all that old. He was, in fact, fifteen, and this was his first solo flight. He was supposed to be visiting his grandparents, which wasn't his idea of a dream vacation. The youth had thought the next two weeks would have been boring and full of old-fashioned fishing trips, and then this happened. Trevor wasn't terrified, as most people in his cabin were; what kind of hijacker said 'thank you'? He could sense something was going on, and he wanted to find out what. In other words: Goodbye, grandparents, hello dinosaurs.

**.·•·.**

   Alan was tired. He hadn't said a word since Billy had grabbed his shoulder, and he wanted to sit down.

"When are we getting there?" he hissed to Billy, who was pretending to glare at random people.

"I don't know," he hissed back. "I'm waiting for the kid."

Alan snorted. "Stupid children."

   Trevor entered his cabin, and made his report to Billy.

"Sir, the pilot says we should be arriving in ten minutes."

Billy nodded. "Thanks, kid. Sit down." 

Trevor gladly obliged. As insane as it sounded, he actually felt somewhat attached to Billy. He knew he wasn't really a terrorist. He was sure, that under the ski mask, Billy was actually a very nice guy. As to Billy's reasons, that was one thing Trevor wasn't sure about, though he was sure they were reasonable. He did feel sorry for Alan, though; looking at him, it seemed he was about to collapse, which was quite close to the truth.

"'Scuse me? Sir?" he ventured, staring at Billy.

"Yes?"

"I think Dr. Grant needs to sit do—"

At that moment, the pilot's voice came through the cabin. "Everybody, please fasten your seatbelts and prepare for landing."

Billy nodded, and escorted Alan to his seat before sitting down himself. Both of them strapped themselves to their seats as the plane began to make its descent onto Isla Sorna.

End of Part I

**A/N:**dundundun. j00 like it? ^^ Much thanks to everyone who's supported me while writing this. Part II coming soon.  
**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything other than Trevor, the plane, and the air hostess. I WISH I did, though. -steals Alan's hat-


	2. Part II: Chapter I: Aviary

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part II  
  
Chapter I

As the plane prepared for landing, Alan wondered about what he was about to do. It was crazy. It was insane. But then again, it was his hat. And his hat was very, very important. In fact, it was the most important thing in his life, with the exception of his work and Ellie. Yes, Ellie. Ellie was, and always would be, the best friend he ever had. He sighed softly. He remembered the days before John Hammond's offer. The days when things were simple. The days before he had almost been killed by the very creatures his life revolved around… yes, Alan really missed those days. The paleontologist stared out of the window, eyes unfocused. He had come this far; he had to go all the way.

Billy gave Alan a worried glance. Something was definitely wrong. He couldn't say anything right then; hijackers didn't discuss life problems with their victims, but he would bring it up when they were alone. He winked at Trevor, who was staring at him oddly, then leant over Alan's shoulder to watch as the plane made a smooth landing.

Trevor grinned at Billy and turned back, glancing at the air hostess nervously. The air hostess cleared her throat, glancing at Billy and Alan.

"Excuse me, sirs, but we have landed on Isla Sorna. The captain would appreciate it if you would leave now. As I'm sure you know, this island is a no-fly zone."

Billy nodded appreciatively, grabbing Alan's arm and hoisting him to his feet, trying to look rough. Alan grabbed his bag wordlessly and headed towards the open door, peering out for any signs of life. Billy pushed him out of the door, stepping out himself as he nodded to the air hostess.

"It's been a pleasure. Really."

The air hostess glared at him, and he waved back.

Trevor stared at the door. It was now or never. Not bothering to pick up any of his things, he dashed through the declining crack, much to the air hostess's surprise.

"You! Stop!"

Trevor paid her no notice as he sprinted into the undergrowth, knocking aside Billy and Alan. The important thing was to get away; then he could make himself known… not that he hadn't done that already; Alan had almost fallen over and Billy was squinting around, trying to spot the culprit. The air hostess was on the verge of getting out to fetch Trevor, when she heard it.

** .·•·.**

Whatever it was, it was loud. It sounded angry, and it probably was; being woken up by a big, roaring machine couldn't possibly fall into the category of _fun_. The air hostess stopped, one foot extended into space. She quickly withdrew it, and rammed the door shut, turning to a random passenger.

"Tell the captain we have to leave imme—"

Her sentence was cut short as the plane began to pick up speed. The pilot must have already sensed the creature – or seen it.

The air hostess sat down, a grim look on her face. It was going to be a bumpy ride.

As soon as Alan had heard the engines revving up – or, what he _thought_ was the engines revving up – he had pushed Billy towards the undergrowth. Being eaten by dinosaurs was bad enough; they didn't need the added danger of being sucked into an airplane's propeller. The two had stumbled unwittingly after Trevor, so they didn't see the plane taking off, leaving them as alone as someone could get on an island whose main residents were dinosaurs. In fact, they didn't see the T-Rex, and, in their confusion, they thought the noise was merely the plane. The two were actually very lucky they didn't run towards the carnivorous dinosaur; it was very easy to lose yourself in the huge jungle.

Trevor tried to calm himself down. He had run straight into the jungle, passing a clearing and leaving a clear path behind him. But he had made it; he was there. All he had to do now was find Billy and Alan to find out what was going on. He still didn't know what was so special about Isla Sorna. The youth squinted, then went back the way he came.

** .·•·.**

Alan stopped and glanced at Billy. The two were in a very, very small clearing, somewhere to the east of the landing strip. Billy was rummaging through the bag they had brought along, looking for the map. Billy sensed Alan's stare, and turned around, a piece of paper in his hand.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Alan shook his head. "It's nothing. I just thought I heard footsteps…" Spotting Billy's worried look, he hurriedly added, "_Human_ footsteps."

Billy blinked at Alan. "But it couldn't have been."

Alan nodded. "You're right. Unless…"

"Unless?"

"Remember that.. thing that knocked us over?" Alan asked, speaking slowly. "I'm almost positive it came from the plane."

"So… you think one of the passengers followed us?"

Alan gave Billy a serious look. "That's exactly what I think."

Billy frowned. "That's not good—"

He broke off as the bushes began to move.

** .·•·.**

Alan and Billy turned around to face the rustling bush. Alan wasn't unduly worried, and neither was Billy; both paleontologists knew it was definitely too small to be a Tyrannosaurus or a Spinosaurus, and it was much too noisy to be a Velociraptor. Their only worry was that it might have been a herd of Compys, but that proved to be false. In fact, what came through was an adolescent of around fifteen. Alan and Billy stared at Trevor, who stared back at them sheepishly.

"Erm… hello."

Billy continued to stare at Trevor, trying to place him. Alan, however, scowled at the youth, who hung his head to avoid eye contact.

Finally, after a long silence, Alan opened his mouth and said, "This was not part of the plan."

"I know," said Billy, squinting at Trevor. "Hey… aren't you that kid from the plane?"

Trevor nodded, not trusting his voice. For some reason, Alan was making him feel very, very guilty.

"I thought so," said Billy, glancing at Alan, whose brow was furrowed, apparently deep in thought. "Alan…?"

"Well, he's here now," said Alan, ignoring Billy. "So I suppose we'll have to stay together…"

Billy nodded uncertainly. Alan was in one of those… _moods_… again. The action seemed to reassure Trevor; he wasn't the only one who Alan scared.

Alan turned around to face the other two. "So, let's get going, shall we?"

Billy nodded again, and Trevor blinked. 

"Going, sir? Going.. where?"

Alan fixed his gaze on Trevor. "Billy, why don't _you_ explain?"

Billy nodded for the third time, and cleared his throat. "Kid, you have no idea what you stumbled into, do you?"

** .·•·.**

Once Trevor had heard the story, he was, to put it quite bluntly, amazed. Not to mention scared. Now he knew where he'd heard of Isla Sorna … on the news, warning people about the big, man-eating dinosaurs. He was beginning to wish he'd stayed on the plane. _Oh, well,_ he thought, trying not to let fear get the best of him. _Might as well try to make the best of it. _It would be hard though. The company wasn't too great, after all. Well, Billy was alright. It was the other one – the hat guy – who spoilt it.

Suddenly, the hat guy himself flung a hand out, motioning for everyone to stop.

"Billy, the map," he demanded, still staring ahead.

Billy obliged, handing Alan the piece of paper. Alan began to study it carefully for about five minutes, before turning around to his two companions.

"If I'm right," he began, "we should be somewhere around here." He pointed towards a point on the map, before continuing. "And the Aviary, where we last saw the hat, should be somewhere over there." He pointed to another point, this time marked with a gray square. "So," he finished, handing the map back to Billy, "we're heading in the right direction, and should be there in about-" he paused to check his watch "- an hour."

Billy nodded, clutching the map. The Aviary wasn't exactly his favourite place, after what happened last time. He just had to hope they didn't run into any more Pteranodons, and if they did, that they weren't hungry.

Not that they had much hope. Billy had learnt from experience that Pteranodons were _always _hungry.

"So," said Alan, with something that might have been a grin on his face, "are you ready?"

Both Trevor and Billy stared at Alan without saying anything. The older man seemed unnaturally cheerful for someone stuck on an island looking for a hat which was probably in the stomach of some unfortunate dinosaur. Then again, no-one wanted to argue with Alan, so they merely nodded.

"Great," he said, the expression-that-might-have-been-a-grin getting wider. "So, what're we waiting for? Let's go. The sooner we get it, the sooner we get off."

Without waiting for the other two, Alan turned back and set off at a fast pace. Billy turned to Trevor and shrugged, before following his senior. Trevor stared at Billy's retreating back for a moment or two, eventually trailing after him, a dazed look on his face.

** .·•·.**

_One hour later…_

Alan came to a halt, staring through a parting in the trees. He could see a dome, a metal dome. If he squinted, he could make out rusty walkways and a dark, half-rotten stairwell. All in all, it looked rather shabby, and slightly frightening. But the worst part were the distinct figures flapping around inside. If Alan strained his ears, he could hear them calling out to one another, looking for food…

They had reached the Aviary, home of the Pteranodons.

Billy came up behind him, hair full of twigs and leaves. Looking over Alan's shoulder, he tried not to show his fear. But he couldn't help but shudder when he heard the dinosaurs call to one another. It brought back horrible, evil memories. Memories of sharp teeth and crashing waves, competing with each other to end his life. They weren't particularly nice ones, and Billy tried to push them to the back of his mind. However, they seemed to have other ideas, haunting and twisting themselves around his thoughts. Luckily for Billy, Trevor arrived at this point, bumping into him and banishing all thoughts about evil flying reptiles from his mind.

"Thanks, kid," he said, flashing Trevor a mysterious smile.

Trevor gave Billy a confused look before stepping around him and gazing at the framework of the Aviary.

"We're going… there?" he asked, mouth open.

Alan gave him a grin that might have been considered 'cynical'. "Yep."

Trevor paused, looking thoughtful. Eventually, he shrugged, pushed past Alan and said, rather boredly, "Cool."

Alan rolled his eyes, and made to follow the youth, leaving a rather nervous-looking Billy behind.  
  
End of Part II: Chapter I  
  
**A/N:** Whee. I decided to split Part II into chapters, 'cause it's long and different things happen in it. And I'm still trying to figure out how to work this thing. x.x -eats FF.net and evil person who insulted her story- It's not meant to be a serious story. Okay? It's just for fun.  
.. ahem. In case you were wondering, the hat thing is an inside joke.  
**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything other than Trevor, the plane, and the air hostess, and probably a few dinosaurs on the island. I want Alan's hat, though. Except he might hunt me down if I take it. -shifty eyes-


	3. Part II: Chapter II: Flying Reptiles

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part II  
Chapter II  


_ They were in the Aviary._

_ Every shadow, every noise seemed to haunt Billy. Every step he took seemed to pull him deeper into his fear. He could sense the dinosaurs. They were everywhere all at once. Watching, waiting. Waiting for him to drop his guard._

_ Then they'd attack._

_ It would be sudden. One of them would strike, and then the others would come._

_ Billy wouldn't let them._

_ Never again._

Billy was not nervous, even if it looked that way. He was anxious. He would have liked nothing better than to leave the island immediately, escaping the hungry, carnivorous dinosaurs. But that would only be an option once they had the hat.

And they didn't have the hat.

As the trio walked as quietly as they could across not-so-random walkways, it seemed they were trying to be… inconspicuous. Or at least, Alan and Billy were. Trevor didn't seem to realize the danger they were in. But then again, he hadn't had an encounter with a dinosaur yet. To him, dinosaurs were… unreal. He couldn't comprehend they were actually living, breathing animals. Living, breathing, man-eating animals.

Not that anyone could _blame_ him. Alan himself hadn't appreciated the power of InGen until he had seen the Brachiosaurus, and even then he hadn't truly known until the T-Rex attack.

It was sad, really, the ignorance of some people.

And then came the screech.

It seemed Trevor was going to find out how powerful dinosaurs _really_ were at last.

** .·•·.**

"Uh oh."

That statement had been made by Trevor. Alan and Billy were too busy running, which would probably have been considered the wise choice. They weren't being cautious about it at all, and when Trevor rather stupidly turned around, he saw why.

In front of him was a Pteranodon. It was bigger than Trevor thought it would be; it had a length of at least eight feet. Its leathery wings were folded by its sides, as it approached the youth in its clumsy walk.

Trevor stood transfixed. He would probably have suffered a horrible, horrible fate if the Pteranodon hadn't squawked. Trevor broke out of his stupor, and followed Alan and Billy at a much faster pace.

The Pteranodon tried to follow, hobbling along. It had no chance of catching up with Trevor, however, so consented with doing the worst possible thing it could do under the circumstances – call for help.

Billy didn't look back. He hoped Trevor was alright, but he couldn't bring himself to look and see. Alan was, rather surprisingly, ahead of him. They were making rather good progress when the second Pteranodon attacked.

The second was a lot bigger than the first. But Billy didn't have time to register that, ducking his head and throwing himself to the floor. Alan continued to run as he was already considerably out of range of the Pteranodon's beak.

Billy doubled back, but now he was trapped between the two flying reptiles, Trevor next to him. The bigger Pteranodon seemed to sense Alan behind it, taking off and landing in front of him, so Alan had to do the same as Billy. End result? Billy, Alan and Trevor were stuck in between two raving, angry animals with sharp beaks.

** .·•·.  
**

Billy was in a tricky situation. He could see a possible way of escape, but he was quite sure Alan wouldn't like it. He himself didn't like it. But it was the only way.

Prodding Alan in the back, Billy whispered his plan to him hurriedly. Alan stared at him as if he was insane (he wasn't quite sure he wasn't), but nevertheless passed it on to Trevor, who merely stared at the floor as if paralyzed.

"On the count of three… one… two…"

Billy didn't have time to say 'three'. The bigger Pteranodon screeched and lunged at the three, 'beak' open and dripping saliva, wings out.

Billy pushed the other two off their narrow walkway, and they fell, down into the depths of the dreaded Aviary.

** .·•·.**

Alan landed with a thud, very nearly missing the edge. Sitting up with a groan, all he needed was a brief look around to see that both Billy and Trevor had landed in the same fashion, and Billy was already helping Trevor up. And out of the corner of his eye, Alan could see what he assumed to be an exit.

It was a boring, gray, barred door, which only let the tiniest bit of light through. If it weren't for that light, Alan probably would never have seen it, it blended in with the wall so well.

Pushing himself up, the by now extremely battered paleontologist glanced upwards to see if he could spot any sign of their pursuers. And sure enough, peering over the edge of the walkway above was what Alan presumed to be Pteranodon #1 looking rather confused. It wouldn't be long until it thought of coming down to see where its prey had gone, and it would probably bring along a friend or two.

"Billy," he whispered, edging over to where the younger man stood. "Billy, there's a door over there. Let's get out of here."

Billy glanced over to where Alan was pointing, and nodded. "Okay."

Trevor just stood there, looking as clueless as ever.

The three swiftly moved over to the door (Trevor needed some prodding), but as Billy made an attempt to open it, it turned out to be locked.

"It's locked," pointed out Billy.

"… we know, Billy," said Alan, rolling his eyes.

"What?"

This comment came from Trevor, who seemed to be completely and totally out of it. It earned him another eye roll from Alan, who made another attempt to open the door.

Needless to say, it didn't work.

"So what do we do now? Wait for the Pteranodons to get us?"

"If that's the only course of action…"

"… if that's the only course of action, I'll eat my hat."

"Which one?"

Alan ignored Billy, apparently deep in thought. "Maybe…"

"Maybe what?" asked Billy, looking around nervously. The Pteranodon's head had disappeared, but he could hear it calling out.

"Maybe," said Alan slowly, "we could get one of them to… knock the door down? I don't know exactly how strong they are, but if we could lure that big one over here… it's worth a try."

Billy blinked at Alan disbelievingly. "You can't be serious."

Unfortunately, Alan was serious, which was why Billy found himself jumping up and down in front of the door only a few moments after, trying to attract the attention of a very angry ten-foot long dinosaur.

** .·•·.**

Alan had taken Trevor with him into hiding. Well, not really hiding, more of a squatting somewhere next to Billy, pressed against the railing. The only reason Alan wasn't helping Billy was that somebody needed to spring out at the last minute as a precaution, and it had been deemed Trevor was just plain useless, no offence meant, of course.

The plan had many things wrong with it. The human side of it was counting on there being no more than two Pteranodons, and that the second wouldn't be big, strong or hungry. You couldn't really guarantee anything with prehistoric animals, since everything about their behavior was mostly guessed. Alan didn't even deal with the flying reptile section, which meant he didn't know enough about Pteranodons to tell how they hunted. 

This understandably increased the risk of being the Pteranodon's next meal.

Now he half wished he had listened to that talk he'd been given on Pterodactyls in college.

Alan didn't have time to wish any longer though, as all Billy's jumping around seemed to be producing some results. Two Pteranodons had been flapping around above them, eventually spotting Billy and deciding to have a look to see what the blurry moving thing was. Screeching, they both dove simultaneously, approaching from different sides. It almost looked as if it were intentional.

Neither Alan nor Billy had the time to appreciate this, however, as the flying reptiles were moving very, very fast. So fast that Billy almost didn't duck in time, and Alan almost didn't jump out, diverting their attention and sending the smaller one towards the door. It hit it, and fell to the floor, temporarily stunned. The other, bigger one screeched loudly, making a quick recovery. It managed to corner Alan with one swift move, snapping at him to keep him there. Alan probably would have become Pteranodon-food if Billy hadn't yelled and jumped on its back. Alan made a getaway, ducking under Pteranodon #1's wing and hopping over Pteranodon #2 to reach the door. Trevor was already there, pushing and shoving against it to try and make it open, but to no avail. Desperately, Alan gave it a final pull, which, surprisingly, managed to open it. Ushering Trevor out, he motioned for Billy to get off the dinosaur's back and follow Trevor, which Billy managed to do without mortally injuring himself. Alan hopped out after him, slamming the door shut just in time as Pteranodon #1 gave a furious scream and threw itself against it.

Luckily, the door didn't budge. Apparently, neither of the three had thought to pull instead of push.

End of Part II: Chapter II  
**A/N:** Well, that's three chapters up. o0 You'll have to wait a while for the next few. School's really beginning to pile up on me and stuff. I only have time to write on weekends, when we're not out of town. So.. yes. Anyway. I also have no idea where I'm going to go from here. I know exactly what's going to happen in the last few chapters, but unfortunately my little brain can be very stubborn at the worst of times. Sorry. x.x  
**DISCLAIMER:** For the third time, I own nothing except the plane, the air hostess, and Trevor, not necessarily in that order. Oh, yes, and Cuddles, though he doesn't make an appearance just yet. :]  



	4. Part II: Chapter III: Discovery

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part II  
Chapter III  


With a sigh, Billy and Alan sat down against the door, breathing heavily. Trevor stood a little way off, staring at the ground, eyes glazed over. He looked almost non-living, if it weren't for the short, sharp breaths that racked his body every few seconds. He seemed to be in shock. Alan hoped it was only temporary. Being suddenly introduced to Pteranodons had probably shattered a lot of illusions Trevor might have had about dinosaurs, even if he looked like the type of kid who ate lots of junk food, went around on a skateboard and wore clothes ten sizes too big for him. 

Then again, to Alan, all kids looked like that, so maybe he wasn't the best judge of character.

Billy, however, was practically a child himself, so had a little bit more of an insight on how they felt than Alan. By now fully rested, he stood up, stretched, and walked over to Trevor, clearly concerned.

"Are you okay, kid?" asked Billy, disregarding the fact that no, Trevor was _not_ okay, considering the fact he was finding it hard to breathe.

But nevertheless, the youth managed to nod, very determined not to start crying or anything of the sort. He barely managed, squeezing his fists instead.

"Well.. fine, then," said Billy doubtfully, eyeing him. "I guess we'd better get going, then. Alan?"

Alan was deep in thought, brow furrowed and ignoring the Pteranodon's futile attempts to get outside. "Wha—? Oh. Alright. Let's go."  
He stood up, squinting at the trees. It was getting dark, and they needed to establish a camp before they continued. They really should have done that first, but Alan thought the hat might have still been at the Aviary. That, and the fact all three of them had absolutely forgotten, what with the danger of being shredded into a million and six pieces, dying from exhaustion, avoiding dangerous carnivores such as Velociraptors and Tyrannosaurs, and watching the map to avoid getting lost, which it seemed they were, anyway.

Billy watched Alan carefully, sensing a 'mood' again. They'd better get the hat back, or else Alan would be like this for ever, only… worse. "… Alan?"

"Yes, Billy?" asked Alan, turning to face his younger companion.

"What're you _doing_?"

Alan gave Billy a look that clearly said, 'Are you insane?', as if his actions were self-explanatory, which, in fact, they weren't. It merely looked as though he was watching the trees for no reason whatsoever. Apparently, it seemed Billy's brain was more than a little clouded; he still hadn't thought of finding a place to stay for the night.

"I'm looking for a place to set up camp, Billy, so we can all get some rest."

"But…" Billy trailed off, looking around uncertainly. "Can't we just stay here?"

"Stay here?" repeated Alan, looking at his surroundings for the first time. Staying there was actually a good idea. The area just outside the Aviary was well protected, in a way; trees made a small clearing, and if something attacked, they could always let the Pterodactyls loose, as a last resort, of course. There was plenty of room for all three of them, and there was even a stream somewhere; both Alan and Billy remembered their last experience in the Aviary all too well.

"Billy," said Alan, mood lightened considerably, "that's the best idea you've had all day. Get the tent."

** .·•·.**

Soon, camp was up, and Alan, Billy and Trevor were sitting around a small fire. They had debated over starting one, Alan saying it was too dangerous, but eventually he had agreed, after Billy pointed out they were well protected from the outside. They had brought some canned food along, so for dinner they had some baked beans and corn, disposing of the cans carefully. Trevor, who had loosened up quite a bit, had then announced he was going to bed, and if a Tyrannosaur attacked them he didn't want to be woken up. Alan couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but dearly hoped the situation wouldn't occur. 

Billy watched Trevor go, then turned back to his by now cold dinner, munching on it thoughtfully. "Alan?"

"Yes, Billy?" replied Alan, poking the fire with a stick.

"What happened to you? You know, on the plane?"

Alan stared at Billy blankly.

"You know… the plane… when we were landing…" At the look on Alan's face, Billy shrugged and gave up. If Alan didn't remember, then it obviously wasn't important. "Nevermind."

Alan blinked, then shrugged, going back to prodding the fire. He had to admit, he had no idea what to do next. The hat was supposed to have been there. In the morning, they'd check around the stream, but Alan knew – he could _feel_ – the hat wasn't there. But he had lost it there… hadn't he? 

"Billy," said Alan suddenly, "once the Pteranodons left you… where did you find the hat?"  
Billy squinted, trying to remember. "It was on the left riverbank, I think. Yes… the left riverbank. I remember because it was muddy and there were all these tracks there, and I got worried because they looked like raptor tracks, and–" 

"Raptor tracks?" interrupted Alan, a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Billy nodded, slightly confused, before the significance of those tracks hit him square on the forehead (and it hurt, too). It could only mean one thing.  
The raptors had the hat.

End of Part II: Chapter III  
**A/N:** Mrr. Short, I know, but as you can probably tell, I really really suck at emotional stuff. e.e Forgive me? It's pathetic, I know. I'll probably have to redo the last part. -twitch- Apologies.  
**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything other than the fake hat, Trevor, the side door, and some other random stuff. You know.


	5. Part III: Chapter I: In the Morning

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter I

Alan began to pace back and forth, the stick he used to prod the fire still clutched in his hand. He kept muttering things under his breath; probably things to do with 'those damned raptors' and his beloved hat. He didn't know why the bird-like dinosaurs would want the hat, but he could only assume they were either hungry, curious, or more intelligent than anyone had originally thought. He, for one, dearly hoped it wasn't the latter.  
Billy continued to sit, watching Alan carefully. He wasn't quite sure of the true meaning of all this, but it seemed Alan didn't know either, so it was alright. And while a number of questions began running through his head, such as, 'where did the fake come from?', 'why did the raptors have it?' and 'what'll they do once they discover we have it?', the most important was definitely, '_what will we do next?_'. However, now was not the time to be thinking about such things. Tomorrow, perhaps, they could find the tracks and solve a few of these questions once and for all.

** .·•·.**

When Trevor woke up – needless to say, quite unaware of the night's events – he found Billy and Alan having some more baked beans and discussing something in a low voice.

"Hello," he said cheerfully, hopping over to Billy and sitting down next to him. "What're we doing today?"

Billy and Alan stopped talking abruptly, surprised by the sudden appearance of their young friend.

"Hi, Trevor," said Alan, shooting a warning glance at Billy. "We were thinking of going down to the river after breakfast."

"Okay," replied Trevor, grabbing a can of beans and a spoon, apparently not concerned as to the reason why.

"… fine then," said Alan uncomfortably, who was only doing all the talking because Billy had insisted he learn how to talk to kids.

The rest of the meal was spent in silence.

** .·•·.**

After Trevor finished off his beans, Alan organized everybody and they headed off to the river. They very carefully made their way through what could be called the 'gate', picking their path with caution. The riverside was deserted, though, which for some reason made Alan very nervous indeed, though the reason was probably the majority of the Pteranodons had left the same day they did.

Once they had crossed over, Alan turned to Billy and asked, "So, where was it?"

Billy squinted, looked left then right, forward and back, before nodding and pointing downstream. "Somewhere along there." He began to walk in said direction, followed by Trevor and finally Alan, who was busy keeping a look out for any sort of threat, Velociraptors high on the list.

Stopping a few feet from the riverbank, Billy pointed to a hard, cracked patch of what might have been mud at one point. Around a suspiciously oval space, Alan could clearly see the imprints of what he knew to be raptor footprints. They had been here… but would they return? It was highly possible, of course – nobody had time enough to guess how far the raptor's territory stretched; they were too busy running. Anyway, it was irrelevant. What really mattered was it was now confirmed: the Velociraptors had gotten hold of the hat.

Once Alan had finished prodding the footprints with a stick and circling the area (while Billy and Trevor watched nervously), he turned to his two companions and said, rather simply, "So?"

"So?" repeated Billy.

"So what do we do next?" asked Alan impatiently with a glare. "Do we follow the raptors, or what?"

"Well—"

Billy was cut off by a thud that seemed to be getting louder as it got closer and closer…

"Nobody mo—" said Alan, as the thudding gave way to a roar and a Tyrannosaur broke free of the forest on the other side of the riverbank.

End of Part III: Chapter I  
**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything except Trevor, blah blah. Don't sue me. Please&thankyou.  
**A/N:** Um. UM. I'm really really sorry for the a) shortness and b) complete idiocy of this chapter. I blame the sickness that is currently wrapped around my head, causing everything I say to come out completely and totally muddled. Don't kill me. Please? That last chapter probably has to be redone, among other things. Again, a complete apology from my side as I stab myself repeatedly with a fork in the hope of killing these blasted germs. x.X


	6. Part III: Chapter II: Goodbye Mister Rex

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter II

Among the many things Alan and Billy had talked over the previous night was what to do in case of emergency, and this was indeed an emergency. Unfortunately for them, however, they hadn't managed to come up with anything, so they had to improvise – and improvise fast.

"Don't… move…" repeated Alan, freezing. If he had turned around, he would have seen Billy do the same and Trevor get that glazed-over look of absolute uselessness that first appeared around the Pteranodons. The Tyrannosaur had apparently overlooked the three intruders, as it lowered its huge head to the river to get a drink. All three of them were eerily silent as they watched the prehistoric beast quench its thirst greedily. As it lifted its head to leave, Billy heaved a sigh of relief – counting his triceratops before they were hatched, I suppose you could say. Unfortunately, not all the triceratops came out of it alive as the big dinosaur lowered its head again and stared straight at the trio, nostrils flaring as if trying to work out what that strange smell was – which it was.

Slowly, deliberately, the giant carnivorous beast took a step forward, one leg in the river, head now almost in front of the three as it continued to sniff around for the creature that had made that strange noise. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the T-Rex turned around and headed back to its side of the river, leaving Alan, Billy and Trevor to their own devices.

All three of them sighed in relief – quieter than last time, though, as they could still see the Rex's tail waving back and forth as it made its retreat – and Trevor took a step back.

Then the twig cracked beneath his foot and the Tyrannosaur burst back out from the line of trees, crossed the river and the three humans turned tail and ran for their lives.

** .·•·.**

They were scrambling over rocks, pushing through trees, and generally trying to get away from the pounding that followed them through the dense foliage. They had totally overshot the gate now, and were heading deeper and deeper into the forest, followed by the T-Rex. Eventually, the thumping got further and further away as the Tyrannosaur was hindered by the closely-growing trees.

Alan stopped and looked around. Somehow, the three of them had managed to stay together and retain all their limbs at the same time.

"Are you.. okay?" he gasped, short of breath.

Billy nodded, sitting down, and Trevor didn't do anything, seeing as how he was also short of breath and was trying to catch some more.

"So," said Billy, after a few moments' silence. "Where are we?"

Alan looked around, and tried to gather their surroundings, before grabbing his backpack – miraculously still on – and the map from inside it. "I would say somewhere near the lab."

This gave both Billy and Alan a feeling of absolute dread as they slowly and dramatically realized what this meant.

"That means…"

"… we're near…"

"… raptor territory."

Trevor blinked, confused. "We're what? Raptors? What're you talking about?"

Alan exchanged a side glance with Billy, which clearly said something along the lines of 'jeez, this kid has a lot to learn'.

Billy cleared his throat and said, "Velociraptors, Trevor. Haven't you ever heard of Velociraptors?"

Trevor shook his head, still looking baffled. "I wasn't a dinosaur kid. I mean, I knew about the T-Rex and the Triceratops and things like that but none of the smaller ones."

"Well, you're going to know /all/ about them now," said Alan darkly, before moving off to the left and indicating them to follow.

"We should get to the lab compound as soon as possible," said Alan as they walked, to change the subject away from Velociraptors and Trevor's ignorance. "That way, we might be able to barricade ourselves in, and then find a raptor to follow back to the hat. Alright?"  
Billy nodded. They had left some supplies back at the other camp, but the compound might have some canned food anyway, so food wasn't a problem. The only thing that worried him was the teensy problem with the Velociraptors. Other than that…

Trevor followed them aimlessly, wondering what on earth was so horrific about these Velociraptor-things. Nothing could be worse than the T-Rex, right? … right?

** .·•·.**

After a few more hours of this trying to locate the lab compound business, the trio managed to locate it. Quite by accident, mind – Alan knew they were going in the right direction, but there was always the possibility of missing it and ending up in Spinosaurus territory. He had to admit, though, he'd rather face the Spino than the raptors.

Anyway – upon discovering the side fence of the lab compound, they went around to the front, carefully entering the parking lot, and checking to make sure there were no raptors in the immediate area. After determining the front yard dino-free, the three cautiously went up the front steps and pushed open the door to the hopefully deserted laboratory.

End of Part III: Chapter II  
**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Alan or Billy or Isla Sorna. Unfortunately. -sigh-  
**A/N:** Yay! It's longer! :3 The last part's really schmappy, but I couldn't think of how to round this off. e.x; Sorry - again. Anyway, look out for the raptors. Coming soon!  



	7. Part III: Chapter III: Stalking Humans

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter III

Of course it wasn't deserted; that would make for a very bad plot. The compound did, however, _appear_ to be deserted, which relaxed Alan and Billy a great deal – which, of course, was what the Velociraptors wanted. Billy barred the door using some scaffolding from the still incomplete reception area, and then the trio began the strenuous job of sticking together and inspecting the compound for any stray dinosaurs that might have wandered in and needed to be shooed out.

Eventually, however, they decided to take a break and stop for a while. It was getting late; traveling and inspecting the compound had taken up the better part of the day. The sun was just setting, and the three watched in silence as the orangey-red rays fell below the horizon, spilling pink light everywhere. It gave all three of them an inexplicable sense of calm and security, nevermind the fact they were being stalked by a bunch of walking turkeys, nevermind they would probably never see home again – right then, all that mattered was the sunset, and the fact they were safe – for the time being. 

Soon, however, the last ray of light disappeared, and the only light source now was that of the moon. The nice, warm, fuzzy feeling passed and Alan and Billy made preparations for the night, while Trevor sat and watched the moon, wishing he were with his grandfather, fishing.

** .·•·.**

_ Outside the Lab Compound…_

_ A pair of orange eyes continued to watch through the window, observing the three humans at work. Unmoving, they watched as the oldest one began talking to the younger one, and as the youngest, still a child, began slowly nodding off to sleep, unaware of the company. Eventually, the older one fell asleep too, leaving the other one on guard. Obviously, none of the humans had noticed their prehistoric visitor, or none of them cared._

_ However, the owner of the orange eyes wasn't intent on watching the humans; oh, no, no, no. Its gaze settled on the headgear situated next to the oldest human; and to a nearby onlooker, the reptilian face might just seem to break out into a grin._

** .·•·.**

_A week after the events of Jurassic Park III…_

_ Only the soft squish of mud was audible as the Velociraptor made its way towards the river. Somewhere to the left, its senses picked out its assigned partner sniffing around the edge of the bank. But that wasn't what it was concentrating on – oh, no. Lying a few feet in front of it was a strange, unfamiliar object. Or rather…_

_ It lowered its head to smell it. Oddly enough, it smelt quite familiar…_

_ With sudden realization, the Velociraptor jerked its head up to call to the other. Soon enough, they were both standing there, sniffing the object, slowly realizing what it was. The one who had found it picked it up, and dashed back the way it came, closely followed by its partner._

_ The hat now belonged to the Velociraptors._

** .·•·.**

_ It had been a few days before they realized something was wrong. The pack had been having trouble finding food; quite a few of the youngsters kept getting lost, most killed and eaten by another predator; and then, possibly worst of all, the lead female had died on a chase, crushed to death by the mother of the young Parasaurolophis which they had been trying to kill. And all this started after the arrival of the hat._

_ The alpha male soon discovered the mix up, and upon the arrival of the humans, instantly recognized the hat Alan wore. Something had to be done. The hat was rightfully theirs, and they were determined to get it back, no matter the consequences._

_ But first, they needed a plan._

** .·•·.**

_ It's well known that Velociraptors have near-primate intelligence. They are quite able to form plans and put them into action. This, on top of their quick reflexes and sharp claws, make them one of the deadliest creatures ever to walk the planet. They are quite skilled at the art of stalking prey, and this was precisely what the pack on Isla Sorna were doing – stalking Alan, Billy and Trevor._

Morning soon arrived, and with it, a now-deserted exterior to the Lab Compound. The human population of Isla Sorna was having breakfast, blissfully unaware of any late-night guests they might have had. Their biggest concern right now (or at least, Trevor's biggest concern) was the fact all they had had to eat for the past two days were baked beans; and, to top it all off, they had left quite a few of the supplies back at Camp Site #1. Right now, their biggest priority was food, and the adults had planned to do a thorough search of the compound to find some supplies that weren't beans. Trevor was to stay behind, and yell if he saw anything strange and/or involving Velociraptors. It might have been wiser to ask somebody who actually knew what the reptilian creatures looked like; but this way was a lot safer, since if there _was_ a raptor-attack, they would know where Trevor would be.

So, with that, Alan and Billy took their leave, leaving Trevor, who was looking forward to a chance to prove his worth; he was quite sure Alan considered him a burden, and Billy a tagalong. But now he had a chance to show he could help, and he was quite determined to use it.

An incident-less hour later, and he wasn't quite sure he felt the same way.

** .·•·.**

_The Velociraptor silently peered into the window, looking for the hat, which wasn't there. Instead, the youth took its place, staring forlornly at the ground, evidently miserable. Normally, the Velociraptor would have attacked – the human was only young, and didn't look like a threat – but not today. It had a job to do. But later – yes, later – it would get the little one, and then…_

_ It turned to leave, silent as always, tail swinging back and forth gently._

_ Then it hit the side of the window, and the Velociraptor had been spotted._

Trevor looked up at the sudden thud on the window, and stiffened as he saw the profile of the Velociraptor staring at him. Holding his breath, he began to slowly scramble away from the window, counting under his breath to determine when to start yelling for help. The Velociraptor was small, smaller than the Rex, but still seemed as if it could do a lot of damage. Its skin was a rough, pebbly brown that looked as though it might have been rough and smooth in one touch. Feathers on its head stood up as it watched the human through orangey eyes. They were interlocked in a gaze, raptor and human, and suddenly, Trevor wasn't afraid of the dinosaur anymore; he felt he understood it, and what it wanted, and what it was trying to say…

Then the Velociraptor opened its mouth, exposing its teeth, and called for backup.

Trevor began to scream.

End of Part III: Chapter III  
**DISCLAIMER:** Come on, people, you know who I own and who I don't by now. :3  
**A/N:** Nice long chapter for you lot today, eh? ^^ I thought it might be interesting to have some of it from the raptors' POV. And in case you're wondering about the other hat, the 'fake' hat - I'm going into that. It's all to be revealed in future chapters. Nerg. :] Have fun!


	8. Part III: Chapter IV: Raptors in the Lab

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter IV

In the other room, both Alan and Billy dropped whatever it was they were carrying, and dashed back towards the main reception area where they had left Trevor. They found him staring at the window, mouth wide open, but there was nothing there – the raptor had gone.

Billy clamped a hand over Trevor's mouth, to prevent any further noise he might want to ensue. Alan headed over towards the window and looked out, only to find an empty parking lot minus a few broken down jeeps. The Velociraptor had vanished.

Turning back to Trevor, Alan hissed in a mildly threatening manner, "Velociraptor? Was it a Velociraptor?"

Trevor shrugged the best he could, still shivering, since he didn't know what Velociraptors looked like. "I – I think so…"

Alan sighed impatiently, evidently (and quite unfortunately for Trevor) not in a very patient mood. "Smallish dinosaurs with feathers? About this tall –" He indicated the height with his hand "– either brown or whitish?"

Trevor nodded in a way that suggested he didn't want to speak to Alan in fear of being eaten alive (metaphorically, of course). 

Alan nodded too, but in a very decisive manner. "Which way did it go?"

Trevor pointed to the left, and was immediately abandoned by both Billy and Alan as they set off to check the door was safe. From where he was sitting, Trevor heard Alan swear as the sound of glass breaking filled the air. There was a hiss, then a yelp of pain, and Trevor realized with growing horror the Velociraptor must be _inside_.

Then there was silence, and Billy and Alan tumbled back into the room where Trevor was, breathing heavily and bleeding.

Trevor's fears were now confirmed. "It's…"

"Inside," nodded Alan, inspecting his arm, which now sported a large gash through the sleeve.

"With company," added Billy, who had looked better on other various occasions.

"Company?"

"Company."

** .·•·.**

_ The three humans were indeed not alone anymore – the Velociraptors had decided to put their plan into action. It was rather too soon for their liking; but after the human child had seen them, they had no choice. Their advantage was gone – the two-legged strangers knew they were being watched now. All of a sudden, it was a whole new game._

_ One of the three Velociraptors that had entered the building (and, as a consequence, 'fought' with Billy and Alan) sniffed the air cautiously. The humans were nearby, they knew – but so was the hat. It would be hard getting it back, but that was a risk they had to take. What they didn't know, however, was that Alan would do anything for the hat they currently had in their possession, and that put them at a disadvantage. It also, however, put the humans in the same situation, as they were quite convinced the Velociraptors merely wanted to eat them, so despite all the physical differences, the two species were much the same after all._

_ This was the last thing on the Velociraptor's mind, however, as that great orange eye scanned its surroundings. The humans were planning something, it just knew, and for one of the first times in the remarkable beast's life – it was afraid._

** .·•·.**

"So what do we do?" asked Trevor nervously, eyeing the side door that led into the main part of the reception area with unease.

Alan stopped inspecting his arm, and Billy stopped hyperventilating. Both stared at Trevor as though he was insane.

"We stick with the pla—"

"We get out of here—"

Alan and Billy averted their 'are you insane!?' looks to each other now. For what seemed like an hour, but was really little more than seventeen seconds, they had a small staring contest.

Alan won.

"Yeah… we stick with the plan," said Billy, averting his eyes nervously.

Trevor sighed with a touch of uncharacteristic impatience. "Which is?"

"Kid, you're not going to like it…"

"Just tell me!"

"Well…"

** .·•·.**

_ Plans, plans, plans. That was all both species were concerned about. The Velociraptors, too, had formulated a course of action – the aim of which was to get the hat back no matter the cost._

_ One point that is probably important is the fact the alpha male still had no clue about the history of _ their_ 'fake hat'. He wasn't concerned about the reason why the humans had come; all he – the whole pack, in fact - knew was that they had their hat. This is another important point; their obsession with the humble piece of headwear seemed to be muffling their ability to think straight. This was a point in favor to the humans – or would be, if they did not suffer a similar affliction. And in case we have not established this point:_

_ The hat was apparently Important._

_ The hat was apparently Very Important Indeed._

_ Which was why the three Velociraptors inside were no longer alone – backup had arrived, and it was waiting outside for the opportune moment to enter._

_ And that, more than anything, was another point in favor of the raptors; the humans hadn't noticed the arrival – something that might have been fatal to overlook._

** .·•·.**

"You're insane," stated Trevor, after Alan and Billy had finished outlining their – _ Alan's_ – plan. "You want us to follow the raptors? For a hat?"

Alan nodded in his customary mildly threatening manner. "Yes."

"But it's impossible! You can't! _I_ can't!"

Alan merely gave Trevor a Look. "Maybe. But we're going to try."

"I – you – he – Billy, tell him!"

Billy remained impassive, keeping one eye on the window and one on the door, completely missing the Velociraptors (who were doing their best to stay out of sight).

Trevor sighed in frustration; Alan frowned. 

"There is a problem, however," mused the paleontologist aloud.

"Yes?" asked Trevor hopefully.

"We have to _find_ the raptors. Without getting killed."

"Alan," said Billy, both eyes now on the window. "I think there's something out there."

Alan shifted closer to the window, and peered out. Nothing moved – except for a flash of brown. Both turned back, faces grim.

"Looks like we've got more visitors."

End of Part III: Chapter IV  
**DISCLAIMER:** I don't own anything. Except Trevor. Really.  
**A/N:** I AM SO SORRY FOR MY LACK OF UPDATES. PLEASEPLEASEFORGIVEME. -begs on hands and knees- I've been really busy and I had a temporary mind block - but I think it'll be smooth sailing from here on. 0: I tried to elongate this - was about to leave you hanging on the 'Just tell me!' part - but I'm nice. ;D Again, sorry for lack of updates - I know it's almost a month - but again, I've been occupied. And, on request, I'll tell you all about my hat fetish in the last chapter. ^^ I would say expect about two, maybe three, more chapters before I'm done. I think I know what happens, but I'm not sure how to word it. ^^ Anyway, I'll shut it now - enjoy!


	9. Part III: Chapter V: File Cabinets

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter V

This made things harder, of course. More Velociraptors meant a higher chance of getting killed. It was direct proportionality, or whatever it was called – nobody in the side room really cared at that moment in time. All minds were busy trying to work out what to do next. They had very few options, really; the most sensible of which, Trevor was quick to point out, was jumping out of the window and making a run for it while the raptors weren't looking, but, quite unfortunately for them, that meant no hat.

"Alright," said Alan after a while, "I think I know what we should do…"

Billy and Trevor stopped their thinking (or Billy's thinking; it is highly probable Trevor was merely repeating '_This is crazy… they're insane… suddenly fishing doesn't seem too bad…_' over and over in his mind) to look at Alan hopefully, wondering if he had come to his senses at last.

No such luck.

"We have to follow a raptor, correct?" said Alan, giving them an 'agree-or-I'll-be-worse-company-than-the-dinosaurs' look.

"Correct," chimed Billy and Trevor, looking quite miserable about it.

"But that's nearly impossible due to the fact we're outnumbered two to one – possibly more, correct?" continued Alan, ignoring the others' tone.

"Correct," said Billy and Trevor, looking a bit more hopeful.

"So the only way to get the hat back is if somehow the other raptors disappear… or…"

"Yes?"

"… get distracted."

Alan flashed Billy and Trevor a smile as they stared at him in shock and horror for dramatic effect.

We all know where this is headed.

** .·•·.**

_ Meanwhile…_

_ The raptors were frankly sick of waiting. The longer they gave the humans, the better the plan they would make – and that was definitely a potentially difficult situation for the prehistoric beasts._

_ It wasn't that they didn't know where the humans were – it was more of a not knowing what was waiting for them where the humans were sort of situation._

_ Finally, the appointed leader of the situation decided the humans had had enough time. The raptors were ready to take them on. They were ready for whatever was beyond that door._

_ The real question, however, might have been: was whatever was beyond that door ready for them…?_

** .·•·.**

_ Before we continue, perhaps a little layout of the room in which Billy, Alan and Trevor were trapped in is called for._

_ Apparently, it had been used as a file cabinet storage room. There was a big window on one end, with a view onto the parking lot. The rest of the walls were covered in… well… file cabinets. The window was cracked. On the ceiling was a fan. And near the fan, above a series of particularly menacing-looking cabinets, resided a small, barely noticeable air vent. _

_ All this combined gave the effect of a rather disheveled room that could look a lot better than it did at the present moment._

_ Currently, Alan, Billy and Trevor were eyeing the air vent. Small as it was, it was the only route of escape that didn't end amidst a group of snarling reptilian-like beasts._

_ In fact, it probably ended in the kitchen or something like that, which wasn't too bad considering the alternative._

Alan cleared his throat, causing Billy and Trevor to jump. Giving them a Look for no particular reason, he said, "We have to get through that vent."

Billy and Trevor nodded, shooting each other a dark look. Alan's incessant habit to state the obvious and act bossy about it was beginning to get on their nerves.

"Billy, can you climb up there?" he asked, oblivious to the annoyance he was causing.

Billy shrugged. "I'll try… not sure if it'll hold my weight, though. Boost?"

It really was astonishing they hadn't tried this earlier… it probably had something to do with the dramatic effect. Everything had to do with drama nowadays.

Alan shrugged, and knelt down, cupping his hands, readying himself for the inevitable trampled fingers. Billy placed a foot on the foothold (well, what else was he going to place there?) and heaved himself onto one of the file cabinets, breath held.

The cabinet held, which was probably a good thing. I don't know how much more drama I can take.

Billy scrambled for the air vent (carefully), and began to tug at the screws. "It's loose!" he said, using his nails to unscrew them. "Come up!"

It was then the raptors decided now would be a good time to interrupt whatever happened to be going on inside the room, and the door happened to be the target as they tried to force their way into the room.

Oh, dear. This is more drama, isn't it?

End of Part III: Chapter V

** DISCLAIMER:** I'm not even going to bother.**  
A/N: **I am sincerely sorry. I shouldn't be taking this long. Please accept my apologies. I'm going to belt out all the usual excuses now - I've been very very busy, I'm having exams, the PC went boom for a while, etc. etc. But starting Thursday, I'm on holiday, so expect a LOT more then!  
Oh, and I know this chapter is really short, but I thought it was a nice note to end on. If I can finish the next chapter today and tomorrow, I will. :3 Thanks all for your patience! I appreciate every single comment I get. Love you.


	10. Part III: Chapter VI: Stalking Raptors

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter VI

Trevor and Alan spent a few moments staring at the door in overexaggerated shock before rushing to get everyone up onto the file cabinets. Trevor scrambled up in a way similar to Billy, who handed his post over to Trevor in order to help Alan up. A few precious seconds were wasted trying to remove the grill on the air vent, when suddenly the last screw had popped out and the three were through the vent.

They had made one mistake, however. Just one, little, itsy-bitsy thing… They didn't leave the hat behind.

Predictably, the raptors chose that moment to burst in, snarling and making other animalistic noises. Predictably, they were too late. And predictably, after a few minutes of searching, they discovered the air vent open. After numerous attempts at getting in (during which the humans got further and further away), they gave up, and alerted the others. (There were two raptors still in the kitchen/store room-thing who had decided the food Alan and Billy had dropped was a lot more interesting than some doomed hat-rescuing attempt. It was really too bad Alan was unable to take their advice.) The raptors began to fan out, searching for weak spots in the ventilation system, while Alan, Billy and Trevor prayed there weren't any.

Said three human beings had decided to stop crawling for a while to think up another plan. They had about eighteen and three quarter plans in the making by now, but this was The Plan. The Plan to get the hat back; The Plan to detail _how_ to get the hat back. (The Plan, let it be noted, that was designed to give Trevor a purpose in this story other than making me look important because I actually own something.)

And Alan thought he knew how. Turning to Trevor, he gave him a very scary grin akin to that of a mouse advancing on cheese.

"Kid, how fast can you run?"

A few minutes later, The Plan was set. Billy and Trevor knew their parts. The only problem was… would the raptors take the bait?

** .·•·.**

_ Thank God for air vents… and back doors._

Trevor slowly eased himself out of the vent, into the now abandoned kitchen. Making sure to unlock the back door, he nervously said in a thin, quavering voice, "Oh, Velociraptors…"

A hiss from above… hissed… "Louder!"

But it was enough. The raptors were onto him. Scaly heads from outside slowly turned and orange eyes focused on the boy standing there. There were a few, long seconds of silence. Then – they charged.

Trevor ran.

Billy jumped out of the vent and landed on top of a Velociraptor. Alan heaved himself out as well onto another one – and all eyes were on him… or rather, the hat he wore.

Everyone else was forgotten. Alan was that target now. The other six (there were seven raptors in total) raptors lunged at him, accompanied by Billy trying to stop them. They probably wouldn't have survived if the raptors weren't more concerned about the safety of the hat. Once they had it, they began to fight with each other for it – and Alan and Billy took the opportunity to escape. Accompanied by Trevor, they took the back door out – hoping there weren't more raptors waiting for them.

Only one raptor saw them escape, and, luckily for them, it was one of the two sensible, non-Alan type ones. It would be a while before the others noticed their escape, and even then, they didn't care. They had the hat, and, for the time being, that was all that mattered. Humans were easy prey… it wouldn't be too hard catching them later.

The previously mentioned humans, however, had learnt something very important. They weren't after them after all – it was the hat they wanted. And now, they were going back… back to the nest. All other plans were down the drain. For, in the immortal words of Alan Grant, (opposed to the immortal words of both Billy Brennan and Trevor Woods) their new plan was simply, "Let's follow them."

** .·•·.**

The raptors were done ransacking the kitchen. It was back home to the alpha male – and good luck for the pack.

The leader of the maybe-not-doomed hat-rescuing attempt signaled at his troops. It was time to move out.

Unfortunately, they weren't quite alone. Not yet.

Hiding in the undergrowth, the three humans were slowly and silently tailing the dinosaurs, hoping they wouldn't be found out.

For a change, despite the long walk/trek/safari type thing, nothing much happened. The humans had a chance to observe the raptors in their element. It would have been a pleasant sight, watching the Velociraptors sniff around, if they hadn't been trying to avoid being the ones to get sniffed.

Finally, what seemed like hours later, they stopped. Trevor was glad for the break. It was hard work, tracking the Velociraptors. It required absolute silence, patience, and the ability to smell like your surroundings… kind of like being around Alan on a work day. No, actually, I'm exaggerating. You don't have to smell if you're around Alan.

The leader of the little troop barked a couple of orders, and the rest went into a V-shaped formation behind him, with him at the tip. Then, bobbing their heads, the raptors slid through a cover of leaves, leaving the humans all alone.

Billy turned to Alan, looking worried. "What do you think's behind there?"

Alan shook his head, not bothering to look at Billy, eyes still focused on the spot the raptors had disappeared. "Only one way to find out. Let's go."

Alan crept forward, followed by a reluctant Billy and a terrified Trevor. Pushing aside a few big, fan-like leaves, the three humans were just in time to see the leader of the troop respectfully place the fake hat on top of the real leader's head – the alpha male… and, next to the alpha male, apparently forgotten for the time being, Alan's hat.

Alan turned back to the other two. "Guys," he said, a grin slowly forming on his face, "I think our mission's just about over."

And before they could reply, he had already turned away, back to the Velociraptors and that piece of headwear that had started it all.

End of Part III: Chapter VI

** DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything. At all. Except Trevor. Shh.**  
A/N:** Well, that wasn't that much of a short wait, was it? :0 I think I've got around one or two more chapters left then it'll be over... and I mean it this time. Anyway, I'll be away for around a month starting this weekend so no updates from me - see my bio-thing for more information. It's been fun, guys - keep those reviews comin'! :3


	11. Part III: Chapter VII: The End

** Jurassic Park III and ½: The Lost Hat**

Part III: Chapter VII

Around half an hour later, the humans had formulated yet another plan. One that involved sneaking, running, hiding, and other tactical maneuvers like that. Naturally, Billy had been elected to serve as the distraction and Trevor had been chosen to help him, while Alan did the 'dangerous' bit – in this case, grabbing the hat and making a run for it.

Here, however, the dangerous bit really _was_ dangerous. Alan was decidedly nervous. True, the raptors didn't seem to have a use for the other hat, but looking at them, they certainly seemed as though any excuse you threw at them would be deemed insufficient – the sharp teeth and claws really didn't improve their image. Alan just hoped they were too busy with the celebrations to notice Hat #1's disappearance.

Soon, it was time.

Billy was hidden in some bushes with Trevor a little way off. Alan was situated far, far away, almost directly behind the hat. The plan, this time, was simple; the three (or two, Alan still didn't consider Trevor quite important enough to join in on the plan-making) of them had decided that simple would work best here.

All Billy and Trevor were going to do was rustle some bushes then run like hell, hoping the Velociraptors were close behind... or, preferably, not.

And, of course, while said Velociraptors were distracted, Alan would grab the hat and also run like hell. They would then meet at a rendezvous point… somewhere.

Frankly, all three were amazed that the raptors hadn't noticed them yet. This meant that the distraction might not work, in which case Alan would snatch the hat and run anyway.

Hidden a few meters behind the hat, Alan was twitching in anticipation. He could _feel_ the hat's presence. It was _there_. Nothing else mattered now. They were so close…

Checking his watch, he found it was exactly one minute and seven seconds until the plan got put into action (they had thought it wise to synchronize their watches beforehand). Tick, tick, tick… the waiting was almost unbearable.

But he had to wait it out, if only for the hat.

** .·•·.**

Billy was slowly counting down the seconds on his watch.

Six… five… four…

Almost there…

Three… two… one!

Billy shook the bush for all he was worth, and threw in an extra whistle to boot before dashing off in the general direction of a very large tree.

The Velociraptors all paused, heads slowly turning towards the noise. A few long seconds passed; the lead Velociraptor barked an order, and three of his subjects broke away from the group to investigate the rustling.

When they reached the bushes, more rustling was heard, a little way away. They paused, confused, before darting off in that direction. By the time they reached there, however, it was already too late; Trevor had vanished.

While the raptors battled it out with confusion, Alan had taken the opportunity to grab his hat. He could just _feel _the radiance flowing from it. All of a sudden he was filled with a sense of elation. He felt he could accomplish anything, defeat anyone, even the Velociraptors.

And, of course, as expected, he was about to test that feeling – right in front of him stood the alpha male, head cocked, staring right at him with an expression (or at least, as close to an expression as Velociraptors could get) of confusion.

** .·•·.**

Alan should've done the smart thing, and ran. Unfortunately, he was still under the influence of the Hat, and therefore felt as confident as he ever did. He was ready for a fight.

The Velociraptor opened his mouth.

Insert a pause here while Alan digested this.

"Er," he said smartly, "bye."

He ran, expecting to feel something leaping on him at any moment. It didn't happen. He stopped, looked around. The Velociraptors had gone on with their celebrations.

Alan shrugged, then continued onwards to the rendezvous place at a much slower pace.

Hey, it wasn't his problem if the raptors didn't feel like attacking.

** .·•·.**

Twenty minutes later, they were all together again. Any questions Billy or Trevor may have had were silenced once they saw the hat.

They had all left Raptor territory, heading towards the beach. Nothing, for once, had attacked them and pretty soon they were on the shore, sitting down and watching the sea.

It was pretty, it was peaceful.

Alan, for one, felt right at home.

Hours passed, they sat in silence. Finally, the sun began to fall past the horizon, casting its pinky glow onto the faces of the three humans, two of which seemed to be so bored they had started repeated games of tic tac toe in the sand.

A few minutes later, Alan turned around to the other two, a big smile on his face. He seemed relaxed, happy, at peace with himself.

"C'mon, boys," he said, standing up. "Let's go home."

Trevor and Billy followed suit, trailing after Alan on the sand. They walked like this for a little while, before Billy suddenly stopped and stared at Alan.

"Er… Alan?"

"Yes, Billy?"

"How are we meant to get back?"

The smile on Alan's face froze.

Oh dear.

Here we go.

**THE END**

** DISCLAIMER:** I'm completely ownership-less. Sigh.**  
A/N:** It's finished! Over! Done with! Thank you all, you've been so supportive. Thanks to everyone who's put this on their favourites list, and to everyone who submitted a review. I'm sorry I kept you waiting, but I wanted this to be the best chapter yet - it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted, but oh well. It'll do.  
Again, thank you to everyone. I love the feedback you've given me.  
Over and out, one last time.


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